The garden is growing by leaps and bounds. We are harvesting daily, and replanting each area as it becomes available. This lettuce and kale was planted a while back and is looking great. The little lettuce in the background needs help! A couple of days after we planted the little starts, the weather became very hot, so it’s unhappy. With the cooler weather yesterday and today, and all the water we’ve been giving it, it should revive.
The old Alderman Tall Telephone Pole pea seeds have produces enough for a couple of dinners. I really didn’t know if they were too old to sprout, but obviously, they sprouted!
We are getting so many Tromboncini zucchini, and yellow and green zucchinis that we needed to take drastic measures. After giving them away to anyone who would take them and eating them like crazy, we did this….
We love zucchini relish, and now have a large supply for eating and gift giving.
I think this should hold us over:). Even though I picked the big ones, small ones, and everything in-between, there are small ones out there again this morning! We ground the zucchini in an antique meat grinder by turning the crank as we fed the squash into the top. We did a x13 batch–and used 26 cups of ground zucchini–then added the peppers and onions called for! I had to send Rob to the restaurant supply store for peppers and took all the onions my sister had at her house. I have never made so much at once before. We got 32 jars, many of which were pints and the rest 1/2 pints. They all sealed except one. I can’t ask for a more satisfying outcome.
Beans are growing well, although I will say the bush beans don’t like their area very well this year. These are the pole beans and they are very happy. I think the bush beans are getting too much shade from the shop and apple tree. We’ve still canned 21 quarts so far, so it will all work out.
It’s really looking like a jungle in many places. I’ve been able to keep the worst of the weeds out, but it’s a challenge to have time to both weed and harvest.
I’m still getting a small, but steady, supply of strawberries. I have one blueberry bush that is almost finished, and another one that still has many, many berries on it. It takes me quite some time to pick them all. so I’ve just been picking one container in the evening, and freezing it, then waiting until the next day or two. That’s why I got a few unripe ones in the dish—it was getting dark. Mostly, they have much better flavor than last year, though, now that I’ve learned to wait a little longer to pick them. The raspberries and blackberries are almost done, but I’ve been getting a few of those each time I pick as well.
The Glacier tomatoes are continuing to ripen. I got a large bowl full of them yesterday. The Romas and Willamettes are starting to ripen, one here, and one there. The various cherry and pear tomatoes are, too.
I am very happy with my garden this year. We are supplied with so many wonderful veggies and berries, both for fresh eating and also preserving. I have plans for more succession planting as areas free up, and hope to have food growing far into the fall. Rob has baby broccoli and cabbage, plus more lettuce starts growing in the greenhouse, waiting for their turn. So far, I’ve planted more snow peas, beets, leaf lettuce, cucumber and zucchini seeds. I’ve also planted head lettuce, Buttercrunch and Frizzy-Headed Drunken Woman lettuce starts. It has been a good, constructive activity for me during this time where I’ve been home much more than usual. I enjoy it, and really love having all the produce!
Your garden is awesome. Look at all you’ve accomplished since moving in.
I had to smile about your unhappy beans and lettuce. That’s how I talk about my garden too.
And I used to make a zuchini relish that was like a hot dog relish with my addition of horseradish to taste. Yum. Did you WB yours or pressure can it?
My peas have almost finished producing – harvested a collander’s worth yesterday and should have pulled out a few bushes. But I too could either harvest or do maintenance, not both. And I’m trying to decide what to replant there. I’ve had horrible germination on some things – chard being the biggest disappointment this year. It usually is such a good grower for me.
Stay safe. Cheers,
I water bathed the relish. By the time I was done with my x13 batch, I think I used 22 cups of sugar, 11 cups vinegar and a lot of spices….I didn’t put horseradish in mine, although I saw a recipe that did. Mine tastes like sweet hamburger relish made from cucumbers and Rob eats it constantly in tuna and chicken salad/filling, that he puts on his salads, mostly. It’s also good on hot dogs and hamburgers.
This hot weather is going to kill the peas, I think, so I’ll try to get the rest off tomorrow or Monday, and they will be done as well.
Your garden is awe-inspiring
Thank you so much. I enjoy it.
Wow! I’m jealous. The deer came and wiped me out. Even ate my zucchini. What little that’s left is just coming back. You guys get the prize for sure.
One day, a neighbor actually saw a buck walking down our street here in the city, but the gate kept my garden safe. What a surprise.
I hope that little zucchini grows back. I told Rob that he should sneak some over your fence next time he’s up that way. I’m sure you would never figure out where it came from:) 🙂
Hi Becky,
Wow! Your garden is doing really well. One of my go-to recipes for extra zucchini is to make a soup with it. It’s really nothing more than chicken broth, 6 cups of chopped zucchini, an onion, and some garlic. For years now, I’ve been adding Indian spices, which gives it a lot more flavor. Once it’s cooked, I add about 1/2 cup of something creamy (1/2 & 1/2, milk, yogurt … whatever I have) and purée it. I’ve frozen it, but never canned it. Usually, I just freeze the 6 cups of chopped zucchini to make it during the winter.
I actually made some zucchini soup the other day. Sadly, I put some cheese in at the end that was from the depths of the freezer and was not what I thought it was….and it was freezer burned….and….thankfully, zucchini is prolific and free, and I’ll try your way next time:)
I hear you, about having time to harvest and weed, especially when you’ve got to do something with all the garden bounty too. I sowed seeds for cabbage, collards, rutabaga and broccoli yesterday. Hoping to have a nice fall garden too.
I’m up to my elbows in peaches, beans and pickles the last couple of days! No weeding for me right now! It sounds like you have some great fall veggies planned. I hope they grow really well for you.
Oh my goodness, have you been busy bees! The garden looks glorious and it gives me such pleasure to see the pictures and hear what you are doing with it. It was my turn for bladder surgery and reading this post while l’m in the hospital gave me a real lift. Thank you!
P.S. l didn’t get around to commenting on the last post but l’m happy for all of you that Rob continues to do so well post-surgery.
I hope you recover quickly!
Amazing, slight garden envy here:) mine is not as advanced but beginning to provide a few things. Need more beds so that’s my next project.
If it makes you feel better I saw something today about weeds being good to help some plants grow. Dill apparently attracts a wasp that eats aphids
I have some aphids on my dill–hopefully the wasp will come quickly:)
What a beautiful sight! The garden and the filled jars!!!! Your hard work is paying off! Congratulations!
I enjoy looking at it, too. Thank you:)
Your garden is so productive and look at all those jars of canned items! I don’t envy you all the work, though!
As silly as it sounds, I enjoy the process. It is a lot of work, but it’s fun for me. I think that’s one reason I do so much of it:)